How Nigeria’s natural gas can light the path to national renewal

Nigeria

Dooyum Naadzenga

Nigeria stands today at a moment of profound possibility—a crossroads in history where the future can be reshaped and hope rekindled in every corner of the nation. 

From the bustling urban centers to the quiet rural villages, there is a shared yearning, a common heartbeat, pulsing beneath the surface. It is the pulse of millions yearning for reliable power, for meaningful employment, for the dignity that comes from progress. 

As the lanterns of light flicker in homes and factories remain dark, this current of hope refuses to be dimmed. It calls out for bold vision and urgent action, a call Otunba Dr. Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo echoes with unwavering clarity.

At the very heart of Nigeria’s struggle and its salvation lies a resource as vast as the dreams of its people—natural gas. 

This abundant treasure beneath our soil offers more than fuel; it offers a future. Yet, as Nigeria sits on a trove of trillions of cubic feet of gas, its people live in an all-too-familiar paradox: one of potential unfulfilled, of promises made yet broken, and of light that remains just out of reach once the sun sets.

This contradiction gnaws at the soul of the nation. How can a country so richly endowed endure daily power outages, stunted industry, and unemployment that strangulates the hopes of youth? The answer is neither simple nor singular. It is embedded in systemic gaps—laws that exist but falter in enforcement, infrastructure that is imagined but left incomplete, and governance that hesitates where it should lead with courage.

For years, Nigeria’s Domestic Gas Obligation was supposed to chart a clear path—ensuring that gas produced on home soil first serves the Nigerian people. Yet, compliance languishes at a disheartening forty percent. The silence of these figures hides the reality: a missed opportunity that costs our farmers the chance to preserve crops, our young graduates the chance to find purpose, our families the chance to nourish dreams under steady light. It costs the nation its dignity.

Otunba Dr. Odunowo’s vision is not merely about pipelines or contracts. It is about reclaiming Nigeria’s identity as a nation capable of turning abundant resources into robust prosperity. Behind every gas pipeline could flow more than energy—it could convey hope, opportunity, unity, and renewal. Imagine the farmer cradling fresh harvests cooled by gas-powered refrigeration. Imagine the mother watching her children study by electric bulb light instead of flickering candle flames. Imagine the entrepreneur breathing life into factories and startups, generating jobs that anchor communities and unlock human potential.

But this hopeful horizon demands we face the thorns that have long embedded themselves along the way. Corruption and mismanagement poison the very wellsprings meant to fuel progress. Deals made behind closed doors, funds diverted, and decisions cloaked in secrecy have repeatedly undermined trust. 

The time for shadows has passed. Transparency must become the firm foundation on which all gas projects rest. Every naira dedicated to development must be meticulously accounted for, every decision opened to citizen scrutiny. Unwavering accountability is not a luxury—it is a necessity if Nigeria is to attract the investments it so sorely needs to transform vision into reality.

Yet governance alone cannot turn the tide. The country must firmly reject the politics of patronage and favoritism, where loyalty eclipses competence. The future we seek belongs to the skilled, the knowledgeable, and the driven—the engineers, planners, and builders who understand the delicate mechanics of a gas-powered nation. This requires that the meritocracy becomes the rightful heir to leadership in our energy sector, empowering those whose passion and expertise can carry Nigeria forward with steady hands.

The impact of harnessing this vast gas resource extends far beyond generating light and heat. It is the foundation for economic revival and social transformation. Reliable energy is the lifeblood of an economy. When factories run predictably, industries expand, and entrepreneurship flourishes, a nation grows stronger. When cold storage preserves farmers’ harvests, markets grow, and food security improves. When reliable electricity allows youth to innovate from the heart of their country, dreams stay local, and a brain drain is reversed. When women gain the energy access that empowers them to run businesses and send their children to school, families lift themselves from cycles of poverty.

Nigeria’s future teeters on a choice—one it must make without delay. To lock itself into a cycle of wastage, neglect, and unfulfilled promise, or to rise, united, around this gas revolution that Dr. Odunowo calls for. To act with urgency, with vision, and with a shared national purpose, securing a future bright with possibility for every citizen.

The story of Nigeria need not be one of missed chances and broken dreams. The time has come to write a new chapter, one where gas is not just a commodity to be extracted and exported but the spark that lights a nation’s way out of darkness and into dawn. A chapter where the laughter of children studying late into the night, the hum of factories humming with purpose, and the confidence of investors eager to build mark the new reality.

Gas is more than a resource; it is the thread that can sew together the myriad hopes of a diverse people into a fabric of shared prosperity. It is the bridge between yesterday’s struggle and tomorrow’s triumph. It is the promise waiting to be fulfilled, the call to action demanding the courage of leaders, the resolve of citizens, and the wisdom of a collective vision.

Nigeria’s moment is now. Every day wasted is a day lost to darkness and despair. But with boldness, integrity, and unity, this great nation can unlock the power beneath its feet, turning gas into growth, scarcity into abundance, and dreams into destinies. The promise of a proud, prosperous Nigeria—powered by its own hands and guided by its own hope—beckons us to step forward.

Let us choose that future, together.